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Ramayana has influenced Thailand in its culture, language and arts. But the Thai Ramayana has got many strange things in it. It may look funny for some and blasphemous for others. It may be due to the fact that the original Thai Ramayana was destroyed in a fire accident in the 18th century and then several hands added new materials to it little by little. Three versions are available now.

In India every temple has got some story behind the Murtis/idols of the temple which is nothing but a mixture of local legends and the original epics. Names of Rishis and saints belonging to different periods are freely used, but all with the good intention of increasing the greatness of the temple.

In Thailand also Rama and Sita are greatly respected but with the distortion of the original Ramayana which is over 2000 years old. Two facts will startle any Hindu in India who has read Ramayana:

1.Sita is the daughter of Ravana and Mandothari and Ravana abducted and married her without knowing the fact.

Hanuman is not a chaste god but married many women and had children. In Valmiki Ramayana he is a Brahmachari; a celibate.

Apart from Ravana, there was another demon with 1000 more heads.

4.The names of the Ramayana characters are distorted beyond recognition.

5.Thais believed Ramayana happened in Thai soil.

6.Thais don’t know Valmiki or the word Ramayana. They know only Ramakien (may be Ramakirti or Rama Khyana).

Manich Jumsai, an authority on Ramakien says, “The Thai version was adapted to Thai sentiments. The story is so made and adapted to that Thai character that no Thai thinks of it a thing originated from foreign origin. It is impossible to convince an average Thai that the incidents connected with Rama story did not take place in Thailand.

The Benchaki episode, the Maiyaraab episode and several other episodes are new; not found in the Valmiki Ramayana

Benchakaai Episode; Hanuman had a son!

Ravana ordered Banshakaai, a demoness to take the form of Sita, feign dead and float down the river near Rama to dupe him. After Hanuman and Sugreeva captured her she revealed her identity. Rama forgave her when he came to know it was Vibhishana’s daughter and asked Hanuman to take her out of Lanka. Hanuman made love to her and she bore him a son called Asuraphad.

Hanuman’s Second Son

When building the bridge and Hanuman and civil engineer Nilan had a fight and so Rama punished both. Nilan was sent to Sugreevan as servant and Hanuman was ordered to finish the bridge work in seven days. When all stones he put disappeared he went down the sea and met a beauty Suvannamachchaa (Suvarna Matsya= Gold Fish); Hanuman fell in love with her and they had a son; his name was Machchaanu (Fish).

Maiyaraab episode

Ravana asked his friend Maiyaraab, King of Patala (under water world). Maiyaraab went to Rama’s camp, sprinkled sleeping powder and brought unconscious Rama to Patala. Sugreevan found it and sent Hanuman to rescue him. He sought his son Macchaanu help him.

Episode of Maalivaggabrahmaa

When demons fell one after another at Rama’s arrow, Ravana got worried and asked his grandfather Maalivaraja Brahma to pronounce an impartial judgement in the case. He accused Rama of great many things. Brahma listened to both the sides in the no man’s land (battle field) in the presence of Devas and found Ravana guilty. Thus Ravana’s plan got totally misfired.